ANDRE WARD'S TRAINING CAMP INJURY FORCES POSTPONEMENT OF SUPER SIX WORLD BOXING CLASSIC FINAL VS. CARL FROCH Originally Scheduled For Oct. 29

Andre Ward, the WBA Super Middleweight World Champion and Super Six finalist, sustained a cut above his right eye during a sparring session on Thursday, Sept. 22. As a result, the Super Six World Boxing Classic Tournament Final and world title unification fight with fellow Finalist and WBC World Champion Carl Froch has been postponed. The announcement was made jointly today by Ward's promoter, Dan Goossen of Goossen Tutor Promotions, Froch's promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport, and Ken Hershman of SHOWTIME Sports®.

The Final was scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 29 in Atlantic City, NJ. The promoters and Hershman are working together to identify a new date for the significant matchup.

The SHOWTIME Sports documentary film crew FIGHT CAMP 360°: Inside The Super Six World Boxing Classic was filming for the next episodes of the acclaimed series at the time of the incident at Ward's gym in Oakland, Calif. The camera crew joined Ward on an impromptu flight from the Bay Area to Los Angeles, where Ward received seven stitches from leading plastic surgeon Dr. Paul Wallace to close the cut. Ward was informed by Wallace that he would be unable to fight as scheduled on October 29 and that he will remove the stitches next Thursday, Sept. 29. The next episode of FIGHT CAMP 360° is scheduled for Oct. 8, 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME®.

Ward said: "I'm extremely disappointed about this cut. We used every precaution, including headgear with a face bar and it was just a fluke situation. My sparring partner and I were involved in an exchange inside and the next thing I knew, I was bleeding. That is the most frustrating thing about this-I don't have an explanation for how it happened.

"This is very frustrating for my camp and I, and I knew that if the shoe was on the other foot and Froch suffered an injury, I would be extremely disappointed.

"We were in full camp and counting down the days until October 29. At this point, I'm looking forward to healing up and getting a new date to finish what I started and become the Super Six Champion."

Ward continued, "I'd like to express my apologies to SHOWTIME, the fans and the Froch camp, but this is part of boxing. Ward and Froch will still get it on but, unfortunately, the date just has to be pushed back."

"This is absurd and unprofessional. Ward needs to get his act together," said Froch shortly after hearing the news. "Of course, you've got to take the medical advice seriously, but for a cut to put you out of a fight a full five weeks before the event is ludicrous. If it were two weeks out from the fight, maybe I'd understand. But he's got 35 days to deal with it. To me, he's showing his weakness. Nothing changes for me. I'll be ready if and when he shows up."

"Not much you can say," said Goossen. "Andre was cut, he got stitched up, and he'll be back as soon as possible."

"Injuries in boxing are inevitable at this, the highest level of competition," said Hershman, the man behind the groundbreaking tournament. "As we've done since this tournament's inception, we'll forge ahead. We are seeking available dates at this time and hope to have an announcement shortly. Rest assured, we will deliver this dramatic final tournament bout, one that is surely the biggest fight in this division's history."

Said Hearn, "Obviously it is frustrating. Carl's camp has gone perfectly and we were ready to unify the titles on October 29. Carl is in the shape of his life but he is a true professional and will take this in his stride and be ready for victory on a date given in 2011."

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

Agbeko-Mares Bantamweight Tournament Final: Winner Takes All

Just steps away from where all the action will take place one month from now at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Joseph King Kong Agbeko and Abner Mares took part in a spirited press conference Thursday at Muse Hall.

The press conference was well attended by a group of Las Vegas’ finest boxing media who heard from both fighters and their camps and promoters, including the legendary Don King, who waved flags for both Ghana and Mexico while heaping praise on Agbeko.

International Boxing Federation (IBF) bantamweight champion Agbeko takes on undefeated rising star and World Boxing Council (WBC) Silver 118-pound titleholder Mares in The Bantamweight Tournament Final: Winner Takes All on Saturday, Aug. 13, live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

“With the type of fight this will be, it's proper for this fight to be at a place called Hard Rock,” King said.

Here are what the fighters and their promoters had to say on Thursday:

Joseph King Kong Agbeko:

“I had my first fight in Vegas at Hard Rock and won by KO. I'm happy to be back.

“I want to thank Abner Mares and his team for their patience. It's going to be a great fight.

“I thank SHOWTIME for this tournament. It will make me the best 118-pounder in the world when I win on Aug. 13.

“My prediction is that the announcer will say "And STILL IBF bantamweight champion of the world...

“I love fighting boxers over fighters because boxers use their brain. This will be a good fight.

“I know that we have both fought Vic (Darchinyan) and Yonnhy (Perez). He survived that but he will not survive me.

Abner Mares:

“I expect nothing but tough fights at this point in my career. It helps me prepare better. Against Vic (Darchinyan), I fought a war. I'll do whatever I need to do.

“In December, I had to change my plan because of the cut (on my head). Depending on how the fight goes over the first few rounds, I'll adjust. I plan to box more this time but you never know.

“It would mean everything to get the IBF world title. Knowing you're the world champ, that's everything.

“It was frustrating at the time the first fight was called off. I was at the peak of my training and I can't lie, I'm human and I was very frustrated. It destroyed me a little bit, but then I regrouped and the more mature Abner prevailed. It's Joseph's health and that's serious. I'm glad he's better. I saw him at the press conference before the fight in April and he was weak and limping. I felt bad and realized that could have been me.

“I took three weeks off after the fight was called off and took my family vacation but I went right back to the gym when I got home and now I feel just as ready as last time, ready to be a world champ.

“Never in my short life did I think that I'd be sharing the stage with Don King. This is incredible.

“I want to be Mexico's 20th world champion. I made my dream come true when I went to the Olympics in 2004 and now I will make my dream come true of becoming a world champion.

“Thanks to SHOWTIME for showcasing me. Many people know who I am because my last two fights were on SHOWTIME.”

Don King, Agbeko’s Promoter:

“It's always a pleasure to be in Las Vegas. Thanks to Ken Hershman who chose to endure and conquer. This is more than a fight. It will be dedicated to W.E.B. DuBois. He died in '93 in Ghana and now the mantle has fallen on Joseph Agbeko. DuBois said in the 20th century color line is the biggest problem in America and now, King Kong will come down and beat on his chest and the elephants will come running. Mares will be Poncho Villa and Agbeko will win for his Ghanaian people. This is a fight for unity, solidarity and togetherness.

“I like Mares but it's going to be a day for Joseph. You've got to be there on the scene. If you can't, check it out on the screen. This fight is a statement. We're part of history, and sorry Abner, to be a part of history, one must be sacrificed.

“Not only did Agbeko defeat something I can't pronounce (Sciatica) but he will defeat Abner Mares this August 13 and we'll be going on to better things.

“This is a great tournament. SHOWTIME has been a vanguard for fighting for what is right.”

David Itskowitch, Golden Boy Promotions COO and Mares’ Promoter:

“I'm excited about this event, the Final of The Bantamweight Tournament.

“The first round was a great one and Saturday, Aug. 13, live on SHOWTIME at The Joint, we'll have a great ending. Tickets are very reasonable, starting at $25. You can get tickets at the Hard Rock box office and Ticketmaster.com.

“When Abner wins this fight on Aug. 13, he will be the first fighter to have his pro debut all the way through winning a world championship with Golden Boy. It's been quite a journey. I'm proud to know him. He is a family man and an example for all athletes. He got here by winning a great knock-down, drag-out fight against Vic Darchinyan and the Final should be just as exciting.

“The Joint is a great place to see a fight. It's a fun spot. There’s not a bad seat in the house.

“This fight would not be happening without SHOWTIME. I want to thank Ken Hershman. We hit a bump in the road with this tournament but Ken stuck with it. He has a lot of experience in persevering like he has in the Super Six. Thanks to Gordon Hall, David Dinkins (Jr.), Chris DeBlasio and the entire team that kept everything together.”

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

No Holds Barred: World Boxing Classic Preview with Froch, Kessler, Abraham, Dirrell, Hershman, Farhood, DiBella, Goossen‏

No Holds Barred: World Boxing Classic Preview with Carl Froch, Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham, Andre Dirrell, Ken Hershman, Steve Farhood, Lou DiBella, Dan Goossen

http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-07-15T23_46_24-07_00

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman previews one of the most innovative and welcome developments in boxing, the Super Six World Boxing Classic, a round-robin, six-fighter tournament in the super middleweight division featuring the best fighters in the world at that weight.

Competing in this tournament are the unbeaten WBC super middleweight champion Carl Froch (25-0, 20 KOs) of England, the WBA super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler (41-1, 31 KOs) of Denmark, the former undisputed middleweight world champion Jermain Taylor (28-3-1, 17 KOs) of Little Rock, Ark., the now-former and still-unbeaten IBF middleweight champion Arthur Abraham (30-0, 24 KOs) of Germany, the 2004 Olympic gold medalist and unbeaten WBC number one contender Andre Ward (19-0, 12 KOs) of Oakland, Calif., and the 2004 Olympic bronze medalist and unbeaten WBC number two contender Andre Dirrell (18-0, 13 KOs) of Flint, Mich.

The winner of this tournament is certain to be regarded as the true super middleweight champion of the world.

The opening round will have three fights, beginning this fall, on dates and at locations to be announced. Carl Froch will face Andre Dirrell, Mikkel Kessler will face Andre Ward, and Arthur Abraham will face Jermain Taylor.

At the kickoff news conference at Madison Square Garden in New York this Monday for this history-making event, we had a chance to speak with fighters Carl Froch, Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham, and Andre Dirrell about this tournament and their fights. We also spoke with promoters Lou DiBella and Dan Goossen, with boxing writer and television analyst Steve Farhood, and with Ken Hershman, senior vice president and general manager of Showtime Sports, which is the key force behind this tournament and will televise it in the U.S.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes at http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=150801513&s=143441.

The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter (http://iancarpenter.com/).

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum, at http://groups.myspace.com/boxing.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine (http://gladmag.com/), for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com (http://bjjmart.com) or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear (http://jiujitsuprogear.com/).

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FightBeat.com (http://fightbeat.com/), for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
http://eddiegoldman.comSee you at the Fights.
Thanks for your time.

Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience The Video Channel Online http://www.youtube.com/ELEmpress1

EL Boxing Empress Keisha Morrisey's Myspace http://www.myspace.com/Keishadivine

Honorable Keisha Morrisey http://www.keishamorrisey.com

©®™2007, 2008 All rights reserved

CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLEHEADER VERNON FORREST vs. SERGIO MORA and CARLOS QUINTANA vs. PAUL WILLIAMS II; June 7, 2008 ● LIVE ON SHOWTIME ● Mohegan Sun

On Saturday, June 7, SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING will present a world championship doubleheader as Vernon Forrest (40-2, 29 KOs) defends his WBC super welterweight title against Sergio Mora (20-0-1, five KOs), while Carlos Quintana (25-1, 19 KOs) looks to defend his newly acquired WBO welterweight belt against the boxer he dethroned, previously unbeaten Paul Williams (33-1, 24 KOs) live at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).

The event is promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, LLC, and Fight Nite, LLC, in association with Tournament of Contenders, LLC, DiBella Entertainment and Goossen Tutor Promotions in association with Northeast Promotions. It will emanate from Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn.

VERNON FORREST

“The fight is what it is. I’m going to put up a great fight, and it will be a great night. I will see you all there.”

Vernon Forrest shares his thoughts with the media at the podium Thursday at Gallagher’s Steak House as promoter Jeff Wald and Sergio Mora (far left) listen in.


“Jeff [Wald] stated today that he didn’t like me. I don’t know him and he doesn’t know me, so he wouldn’t have the knowledge to make that statement. I don’t even know what he means by that. He liked me, and now he doesn’t. I don’t know what that means.”

“I’m a heterosexual. This is no high school sweetheart thing. I’m like a jilted boyfriend. Whether Wald likes me or not, his fighter has got to fight me. All he has to do that night is pull out his pom pons because his fighter will be the one fighting.”

SERGIO MORA

“All of these fights are going to be exciting. As for me and Forrest, we don’t know how to lose. We’re both prideful, and we don’t back up.”

“I come to box, fight, bleed, whatever it takes to win. I don’t back down.”

“I’m excited about where I am, but I would have gotten here with or without ‘The Contender.’ God blessed me to be on that show and it gave me a head start. Because of it, I got here [world title opportunity] a little faster. But, I would have been here eventually.

Sergio Mora addresses the media during a press conference Thursday at Gallagher’s Steak House in New York, while promoter Gary Shaw and Vernon Forrest (far right) look on. Forrest will defend his WBC super welterweight world title against Mora this Saturday live at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.


“Forrest is a hell of a fighter. I know that I have to prove myself. I will prove myself.”

“I see the fight going the distance. I’ve never been down, and I don’t plan on going down. It’s going to the late rounds. We’re both arrogant fighters.”

(When asked about Forrest’s power and knockout history): “Power doesn’t matter. I worry about his right hand, but I’m the biggest guy he’s ever fought. I’m smarter than the others. I’m younger. These are the things that will be what changes the fight.”

CARLOS QUINTANA

“I want to thank SHOWTIME and all of the promoters. I prepared myself better this time around. Williams is good, he throws a lot of punches, but I am better prepared and I will win on Saturday.”

“I will be here with my belt for a long time. Williams said he wasn’t really himself for our last fight on February 6, but, this time, I am so prepared that even if he brought his best game, I can handle it.”

PAUL WILLIAMS

“I had an off night [during the first fight against Quintana]. I want to get back in the ring on Saturday night and get my title back.”

“My confidence level is through the roof. I can’t wait to get out there Saturday. I will show up. In February after they said I lost, I didn’t think about it anymore. I left it behind. That wasn’t me. The real Paul Williams will show up, and when he does, he will punish Carlos Quintana.”

Paul Williams (left) and Carlos Quintana (right) stare each other down at Gallagher’s Steak House while promoter Gary Shaw (middle back) observes the festivities.



GEORGE PATTERSON (Williams’ Manager/Trainer)

“We had fun in this training camp. We were more relaxed. It was different from the last camp. We have worked hard, done a good job, and we plan to get our title back.”

LOU DIBELLA (Promoter)

“I want to especially thank Ken Hershman and SHOWTIME for making this fight. I respect Paul Williams. Everyone was afraid to fight him. Quintana wasn’t afraid for the first fight and he’s not afraid of Williams this time.

JEFF WALD (Promoter)

“I can guarantee that Mora will not run. He has never run from anybody. He would rather die than run.”

“This is a hell of a night of boxing, and it is great for television. Forrest and Mora always bring it.”

Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience The Video Channel Online http://www.youtube.com/ELEmpress1

EL Boxing Empress Keisha Morrisey's Myspace http://www.myspace.com/Keishadivine

Honorable Keisha Morrisey http://www.keishamorrisey.com/

©®™ 2007, 2008 All photos by "EL Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Studios, for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved